Volume 39, Number 09
Travel
Take Five
A New Era for Heathrow Airport
by Benjamin Freeland
When it comes to the world’s worst airports, the citizens of London can take heart in the fact that by global standards their much maligned Heathrow Airport is really not all that bad, and is indeed a paradise on earth when compared to, say, Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), or even a good number of airports in the industrialized world such as Paris’ beleaguered Charles de Gaulle. Nevertheless, Heathrow’s longstanding reputation for chronic overcrowding, impersonality and frequent maintenance problems has proven difficult to shake, and complaining about the place remains one of Britain’s most popular pastimes. However, a comprehensive overhaul of Heathrow Airport scheduled for completion ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, beginning with the inauguration in March of this year of its glittering new Terminal 5 (T5), could be exactly what the airport needs in order to change all that. While the ribbon cutting at T5 was quickly followed by a malfunction in the terminal’s new baggage handling system that resulted in the mishandling of over 15,000 units of luggage, the cancellation of numerous flights, and a resurgence of Heathrow-bashing, T5 now appears to be running smoothly, indicating that the terminal may indeed fulfill its promise of rendering travel through Europe’s busiest airport more pleasant than ever before.
The history of Heathrow Airport largely parallels that of the aviation business itself. Aviation on the land now occupied by the airport began during World War I, when it came to be used as a military airfield. The strip, formerly known as the Great Western Aerodrome, remained a military facility until the end of the World War II, after which it was rechristened Heathrow and converted into a civilian airport. The subsequent decades saw a steady increase in air traffic and the construction of three terminal buildings, with a fourth added in 1986. Nevertheless, increasing traffic continued to strain the airport’s facilities, saddling the airport with a regrettable reputation for congestion and interminable delays. Plans for a fifth terminal building, in the pipeline for over 20 years, were finally given the green light in 2001, culminating in the construction of a gargantuan £4.3 billion facility more than five times the size of Terminal 4, designed by renowned British architect Richard Rogers and occupied exclusively by British Airways. Under the motto “faster, smarter, simpler,” T5 promises rapid on-line check-ins and smooth transfers between intercontinental flights and British Airway’s extensive European network, as well as a multitude of gastronomic and retail offerings. While environmentalists have voiced concern about the potential increase in pollution represented by T5, airport representatives are quick to point out that the actual number of flights will remain the same as before.
Furthermore, the new terminal itself is being promoted as a uniquely ‘green’ facility, which promises to recycle over 80 percent of its waste and harvest up to 85 percent of the rainfall it receives, with the building itself designed so as to minimize the need for artificial lighting.
With a brand new hub at its disposal, the most immediate beneficiary from the inauguration of Terminal 5 is U.K. national flag carrier British Airways, an airline currently in the midst of a fleet modernization drive that will see it adopt the giant new Airbus A380 ‘Superjumbo’ as well as Boeing’s state-of-the-art 787 ‘Dreamliner’ jet over the next few years. “This is a great new era for British Airways,” declares Julianne Rogers, BA’s country manager for the airline’s Japan office. “[T5] provides BA with a brand new home, one that will allow us to modernize the fleet and provide passengers with easy connections.” According to Rogers, T5’s online check-in system, coupled with an efficient baggage drop off system and smooth security proceedings, will cut check-in time from two hours to ten minutes from the time the passenger arrives until they pass through security. In addition to this, the terminal sets an unparalleled standard for airport shopping facilities, featuring Harrods, Gucci, Prada and the only Tiffany & Co. airport boutique in Europe, among others. The fast food outlets that proliferate at most airports are eschewed in favour of fresh, healthy eating options as well as characteristic British fare such as celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Plane Food’. Furthermore, the opulent new facility also features travel spas courtesy of British skincare/spa company Elemis (complementary for First, Club World and Gold Executive Club travelers), premium lounges for first and business class passengers featuring champagne bars, Wi-Fi access, a wide array of business services, and a host of art installations by leading British visual artists.
Regarding the terminal’s rocky debut, Rogers asserts that such ‘teething issues’ are not indicative of systemic flaws. “It was a problem of staff familiarity [with the new technology] more than anything else,” she explains. “And now fortunately everything seems to be working.” As for whether T5 will lay to rest the Heathrow Airport that the Brits love to hate, Rogers acknowledges that while the new facility is not the answer to everything, it’s a very significant step nonetheless. “Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, and we’re not adding capacity in that respect, and [the long sought after] third runway still eludes Heathrow,” she states. “However, what we are doing is making things a lot more efficient, with the needs of the consumer foremost in mind.” In other words, while long waits on the tarmac will likely remain a problem at Heathrow, the advent of Terminal 5 should mean that passengers on the UK’s flag carrier are feeling altogether less bothered upon boarding their flights.